Ok, I'm going to start this off by saying I have never been a super big shifter romance reader or fated mates reader. HOWEVER, if A.K. Mulford writes it, I'm now 100% completely sold on it after this book.

The story started right in the middle of the action and the pacing continued to be phenomenal for the entire book. I feel like this is such a hard balance to strike in high fantasy, and yet I've never been disappointed with the way that this author is able to strike that balance. I love when. I feel like I'm experiencing the story along with the characters & she delivers this kind of experience with A River of Golden Bones.

We start with a fairy tale like story with all the Sleeping Beauty vibes (I'm going to be honest, I called the big bad Maleficent for awhile when explaining the story to my husband before remembering her name). But then the story unfolds into a fast-paced, heartbreaking adventurous tale with a found family I want to be a part of.

I loved everything about this story, especially the moments in the wagon w/ all of their traveling musician friends (it really gave off Hobbit vibes in the BEST way). I will say that at first I was thrown off by the Fated Mates/Insta Love of the beginning of the book and I was worried I was just not going to like this romance and just stay for the story itself (which is FINE but I love my stories with a huge side of romance which AK is amazing at doing), but I stayed with the book and it took barely any time at all to win me over, even though the love interest Grae did have to work for it because I was MAD at him for awhile in the beginning.

For anyone who is a fan of AK Mulford, romantasy, Sleeping Beauty or just a good adventurous fantasy, this is the book for you and I can not wait to read the second one!

Thank you to NetGalley & Harper Voyager for this ARC to review! :)

A River of Golden Bones (The Golden Court #1)
By A.K. Mulford

Spoiler free ARC review

I really liked this book! I haven’t read a lot of friends-to-lovers romance fantasy books and this book was a fun read. Plus this story is a twist on sleeping beauty and I loved every second of it.

It has a diverse group of characters which was really refreshing to read. The fated mates and found family trope is some of my favorites and if you love them too you’ll enjoy this book! The side characters weren’t an after thought and added a lot to the story! This story has humor, tension, spice, action, romance, and diverse characters 10/10

Can’t wait to read more in this series 🖤🐺

Thank you NetGalley and Avon & Harper Voyager for the ARC!

Overall this book was an easy, quick and enjoyable read. I love the focus on having a main protagonist struggling to self-identify in a very binary world. So often the question of identity comes into play with sexuality and this was a refreshing dialogue into how identity is an intersection of self.

Two main notes on overall thematic progression. Firstly, Briar needs more of a platform. Her entire role is essentially a foil, and yet she is part of Calla's identity crisis. We get maybe three sentences of who Briar really is. In order to develop Calla's mental state, we need to see more interaction between the twins and a deeper look into what life was like for Briar outside of Calla's commentary around her wardrobe. This will also help to better outline the expectations of a royal female/non-binary within the Wolves pack.

However, the BIGGEST plot hole is around this concept of pack mentality. Briar and Calla are raised, essentially, in isolation, with a fairy as their main parental role model. Over 60% of the story is Calla struggling to break free of the pack mentality and question the status quo around predefined gender roles, species prejudice (human/wolves) and non-binary romance. Calla has NEVER lived within the confines of a pack hierarchy. They have only learned about them secondhand...from a fairy. Veilla has never experienced being in a wolf household, nor under a Wolf Monarch. In all honesty, this is a huge miss for the author.

In an effort to clean this up, there needs to be something added. Either we need to see more exposure to a wolves household while they're biding their time in Allesdale or Calla needs to spend more than a night in the kingdom of the Silver Wolves. I won't diminish the abysmal treatment they receive at the hands of King Nero, but they don't really have time to chafe at non-existent restrictions. If can even be a closer examination of Hector, Sadie and the rest. We need to read it on the page how Calla has experienced or witnessed the dynamics under this constricting lifestyle before it makes sense for them to rage about it for the majority of the story.

AK Mulford offers a wonderful varation of the ever growing romantasy book. This is a perfect read to explore one's relationship with their own gender identification while seeing healthy acceptance of being true to one self. Endearing found family, and perfect for those who dreamed of being a wolf growing up.

a river of golden bones is a lgbtq+ sleeping beauty retelling that starts with twin siblings: one living in secret while the other is in line for the throne. the magical storyline of sibling rivalry reminded me of twin crowns!

with vindictive sorcerers and wolf shifters, the story keeps you fascinated until the very end. just beware of calla and grae’s insta-love because their relationship develops so quickly.

i love that calla, the main character, is genderfluid and we get to see them come to terms with how they really feel. it’s so refreshing to read about a non-binary main character.

for romantasy fans that are looking for werewolves and the fated mate trope, this fast-paced story is for you!

I've heard such great things about this, so I was thrilled to get an early look via NetGalley (thank you Harper Voyager!). And I see why buzz is building. Mulford is a wonderful writer, adding such a fresh twist on the classic Sleeping Beauty fairytale, complete with hidden twins and weres. Plus I'm an absolute sucker for friends-to-lovers. Grae has my heart completely.

The last quarter of the novel felt a bit rushed to me, and the spice (which I usually love!) did seem oddly paced given how YA the voice is originally, so rounding down to 4 stars. But I'm excited and eager for book #2!!

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book early in exchange for my honest review. I think this book was pretty good! There was some drama, sloooooooow burn, and a decent plot to the book. This did not end in a plot twist or really an ending where I would truly expect another book to come from it. It left other avenues to be led down, but also clean enough of an ending that it would be a decent standalone in my opinion. I would recommend this book to friends who like shifter books and also has LGBTQ+ representation if you are interested in that. I love when books are about twins and when you have love interests that aren't push overs to each other just because they are in love or fated mates, etc. I believe you should still have an identity and be able to support each others differences in addition to the things they agree upon. That is something that this book does well. I would realistically give this 3.5 stars but since I can’t do that on here I would give it 4 stars because I do think I would recommend it to people I know would enjoy it and did enjoy it myself. Again thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for making access to this title possible!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. (via Netgalley)

Actual review close to 3.5 stars. I loved that there was LGBTQ+ representation with the characters. However, the beginning was a bit confusing to start and had instalove which kind of set the tone for the rest of the story me. I'd much rather see a relationship develop can be done, even with fated mates. The language used in the spice scenes was a little weird lol.

A beautifully written story about self discovery and found families. With a badass main character, a thrilling plot, and wonderfully inclusive storylines, A River of Golden Bones has it all. I can't wait for the next book in the Golden Court Series.

I picked this up because I had enjoyed reading the first couple of books in the author's other series, they were a nice escape type book. I can see the author's growth of storytelling here compared to that other series, but this book still had pacing issues for me. I feel that at times it was too slow and then somehow the book itself was too fast.

I did like the characters, especially the traveler and how unique each of them were and what they contributed to the story. The main love interests however just seemed overshadowed by so many other characters I would rather know more about.

That being said, still 3 stars for entertainment value.

This is a case of judging a book by its cover being the best decision. Didn’t even read the blurb, just saw the cover and knew the book was for me. And as pretty and magical as the cover is, it doesn’t hold a candle to the magic with the story. The world building, the side characters, the buildup of tension from start to finish, the love story between not just the main character and their mate, but that of their country and their found family. Loved this book, no holds barred.

A gripping wolf shifter Romantasy smothered in fated mates and a dash of sleeping beauty!

I am such a sucker for fated mates, and wolf shifters let alone a fairytale retelling! This book challenged the social norms and felt incredibly inclusive.

The golden wolf pack was wiped out by an evil sorceress who took the kingdom by force and named herself Queen. She cursed the FMCs mother, but not before she delivered a healthy baby girl and sole heir to the throne. That is, until her twin followed shortly after. Two baby girls were born that day and with their mothers dying wish, they were taken by a fairy godmother of sorts to be raised into the women they needed to become. One day they would take back their homeland and sit upon the golden throne once more.

I loved the twist on this classic story brought to a whole new level with warring kingdoms, villains on both sides and a satisfying ending that leaves more to be told without the headache of a cliffhanger!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC!

I’d yet to try this TikTok recommended author yet, dubious of the claims that their fae series could rival acotar, but now I’ll have to read the rest of their catalog.

This is the first shifter romantasy that I’ve actually liked! And I love romantasy in general and always thought I’d enjoy this subgenre, but for some reason all the others I’ve tried don’t hurt right,

Mulford gets it right!

The fantasy was amazing, the story was enchanting 10/10 would recommend to anyone who love’s fantasy.

"My sister would marry and make allies and sign treaties, and I would be the nameless Wolf who won back our throne."

A. K. Mulford is bringing shifters back, in the best possible way. While, I have yet to read a bad book by them, I certainly didn't go into this book expecting to love it as much as their debut series "Five Crowns of Okrith". I'm pleased to say I was pleasantly surprised in all the best ways. A. K. Mulford brought their A+ game with this series and I'm already eagerly anticipating book two (and three).

We follow Calla - twin to Briar - whose entire identity has been cloaked in shadows her entire life. She was meant to be nameless, faceless, and live behind her sister's glory. Only everything Calla was raised to be is challenged when Briar is cursed. Suddenly, Calla must not only live up to be the warrior her sister needs, but also the champion for her throne while embarking on a new journey of self discovery outside of the shadows.

Dive into the fantastical world of A. K. Mulford's creation with queer representation, gender fluidity, fated mates, found family, curses, sleeping beauty retelling, spice, and a plot twist that will leave you wondering how the heck you never saw it coming!

I’m typical A. K. Mulford style she has done it again!! There are highs and lows. Action, love interests, this book has it all. I couldn’t put it down. I need more!!

Wolf shifters, true love, gender non conforming, queer inclusive fantasy romance breaking down the borders of class/race. AK has done it again.

They have provided us with a character growth and self discovery story rooted in the tale of Sleeping Beauty.

There was the perfect mix of action and hanky panky. Also, a magical travelling caravan? Yes.

This was everything I was hoping and needing! The author does a phenomenal job of weaving these stories that just captivate you!

I really enjoyed this Sleepy Beauty retelling that dives deep into self-discovery and gender exploration. This was beautifully written with rich, flushed out characters full of diversity. The author’s growth in her writing is evident in this book. Give it a try!

A fantasy adventure with great world building, a political divide between humans and wolves, broken kingdom, fated mates, and twin princesses in hiding! All the makings of a great fantasy series. While one princess is promised to an allied kingdom, the other trained as her protector for when her sister becomes queen. Calla is stubborn and lacks of confidence in everything about herself except for her warrior fighting skills, but is she capable of stepping out from her sister’s shadow to save her family and her kingdom?

I felt like this book went deeper than your average fantasy story and really engages the reader in ‘self-discovery’ and ‘gender exploration’ like described in the synopsis. The main character, Calla, develops so much during the course of the storyline and really comes to learn who she truly is, which is incredibly admirable and inspiring. The descriptions of emotions during important scenes were really well written and make you feel more connected to the characters.

I really loved all the supporting characters too and hope the next book really dives into their stories more. I would especially like to see more character development with the male lead character, Grae.

Overall, this was a good book that I would recommend to any fantasy lover! A truly inspiring story about how we don’t have to abide by the future set by others, but we are free to create our own destiny in our own ways.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the opportunity to read and review this book with my own honest opinions!